


A Peaceful Breath

by bashfulglowfly



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Anger, Forgiving yourself, Love, finding where you belong, finding yourself, shrine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-31
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2018-09-21 02:37:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9528137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bashfulglowfly/pseuds/bashfulglowfly
Summary: One by one the men of the Golden Kingdom find where they belong in this world.





	1. Jadeite

Karl Jackman was very new to Tokyo but he was loving every bit he’d come across so far.  He had chosen Japan for his year abroad and had gotten it.

University was going great.  He had some problems understanding sometimes but making recordings of the lectures and getting in study groups with classmates helped a great deal.  And the study groups helped him make friends.

Through those new friends he was sampling various aspects of Tokyo nightlife and culture.  His friends, at his request, hadn’t taken him to the same place twice.  A few places had made him blush wildly (you can take a boy out of his small town…) but he’d had lots of fun for the most part.

And the food!  Dear God, they weren’t kidding that Tokyo was a Foodie Town.  Everywhere he went there was some delicious new food he had to try.  Mitsuru and Rikako had started competing with each other to find something that he didn’t like.   So far, they hadn’t succeeded.  He was fairly certain they’d find something sooner or later.

Karl was glad that he walked from his apartment to school as well spending the weekends walking around exploring.  Otherwise they’d probably be rolling him from class to class.

When he got to Tokyo, he had decided that he would explore and see everything he could.  The first few weeks he saw all of the touristy spots and museums.  Now he was exploring the city a little bit at time.  He wanted to see everything.  Local schools, grocery stores, neighborhoods.  He wanted to see how and where people lived normally, day to day.

This weekend he was exploring Azabu-Juban District.  It was really nice area.  Lots of shops and places to eat.  He made a note of a few places that he’d come back and try.  Sort of an Old World feel in a few places.  As he walked he came across a place where several streets came together and spied several steps that led to a shrine. 

He grinned to himself as he walked quickly up the steps.  There were places that had more steps but these were steep so he was glad that he was in shape.

When he reached the top, he was amazed at the beauty of the shrine.  He took a few steps forward then he had to stop.  Something made him take a deep breath then release it.  Something loosened inside him.  He felt…lighter.

There was a clatter to the left of him and he opened his eyes to see a tall (for a Japanese) girl dressed as a miko who had dropped a broom and was staring at him in shock.

Karl strode over to the girl and picked up the broom handing it to her.  He bowed and smiled, asking “I hope I’m not intruding.  Is it permissible for me to be here?”

The auburn-haired girl stuttered for a moment then took her own deep breath.  “The shrine is open to the public.  It’s just asked that you don’t go inside any of the buildings.”

Karl bowed again to her.  “Thank you.”

He started walking around admiring the simple architecture of buildings when he saw a girl with her long blonde hair in two tails climbing a ladder.  For some reason, his breath caught in his throat.

Then the ladder started to move sideways!

The next thing Karl knew he was across the courtyard with a tiny blonde in his arms.  He stared into her blue eyes…and became furious.

He grabbed the girl by the shoulders and shook her.  “Damn it all, Serenity!  You should know better than to do things like that!  What would Dymion say if you hurt yourself?!”

“I…I…ummm.”

“Let.  Her.  Go.”  The coldly furious voice came from behind him.

Karl turned around and looked at the girl with the long black hair and furious violet eyes.  “Hello, Nike.”

A snarl was his response.  A snarl, a transformation and an attack of flames.

Jadeite created a shield of pure energy and blocked the flames from himself and Serenity.  He used the shield to direct the flames harmlessly into the sky.  He gently pushed Serenity away from him and got to his feet.  Mars snarled again and Jadeite bolted to the center of the courtyard so that he had more room to move and sent another attack into the sky.

“Mars!  STOP!  NOW!”  Jadeite recognized the voice that snapped with command but he didn’t take his eyes away from Mars.

“Venus…”

“Shut it!”  Venus strode into his view.  She may have been wearing the robes of a miko like the other girls but she was absolutely the Leader of the Senshi.  “He did nothing…NOTHING…wrong!  Yet you behave like a Jovian barbarian, sorry Jupiter, and attacked.  How.  DARE.  You!”

“But..”

Venus gave her own snarl and Mars shut her mouth quickly.  “If this had happened in the Silver Millennium, Jadeite would have been within his rights to demand that Queen Serenity have you punished!  And even if Jadeite would not ask, Kunzite, Endymion or King Terran would have been forced to demand your punishment by their people!”  She took a deep breath, nostrils flaring as she tried to control her own anger.  “At the very least you would have been flogged, you would have been banished from ever being around Serenity again or even executed.”

Jadeite watched as the blood drained from Mars face.  He took a step forward “Venus…”

Venus looked at him and bowed slightly.  “I know what you’re thinking and how you’re feeling but this is between Mars and myself.”

“No, it’s not.” That came from a quiet voice.  Serenity stepped to Venus’ side.  “I was with Jadeite when Mars attacked.  So not only am I involved but I am also her Princess.”  She took a deep breath and looked at Mars.  “I’m very disappointed in you.”

Tears welled up in Mars’ eyes and fell down her cheeks.  Her transformation faded away and she ran into the shrine, sobs trailing behind her.

Serenity buried her face into Venus’ shoulder as the other two girls started to follow Mars.  Venus held up a hand.  “No.”  The two girls that Jadeite recognized as Jupiter and Mercury stopped.  They looked at each other uncertainly.  Venus stroked Serenity’s back.  “Let her stew in her own vegetables for a bit.  Then I will talk with her.”  She looked at Jadeite.  “We aren’t going to attack you, so you can release your transformation now.”

Jadeite looked down at his white uniform with red trim.  “I don’t think I know how.”

Mercury giggled.  “What are you going to be doing Monday?”

“School.  I have two papers that I’ll have to turn in.”  Karl looked down “Oh.”  He smiled at Mercury and bowed.  “I’m Karl Jackman.”

The girls in turn bowed and introduced themselves.

“I’m sorry, Serenity…Usagi.”

She smiled, shook her head, reached out and patted his hand.  “It’s okay.  We’ve been Senshi for several years now but Rei looks serene but she still has a hard time holding her temper.”

Makoto snorted.  “She’s always had a hard time holding her temper.  We can’t afford that any longer.  And people called ME a barbarian!”

“I said I was sorry!”

“I know.  And none of you never called me that back then.  But I heard the whispers.” Makoto smiled wryly at Karl.  “It didn’t help that Jupiter had seven different Royal Families in less than 200 years.  Not to mention killing so many of our own people that it made the American Civil War, World War I AND II combined look like children’s arguments!”

Karl rubbed his forehead.  “I…I remember reading something about that.”

Ami patted his arm.  “Don’t force it.  Just let the memories come when they come.  It hurts less that way.”

Karl nodded.  “Let me talk to her.”

Usagi looked at Minako.  “Okay.  Can you find her?”

“Always.”  Karl strode into the shrine and let his instincts draw him to Rei.  He found her in a room with a large fire at one end.  She sat like a statue staring into it.  Karl sat down quietly next to her.  And waited.

“I didn’t want to be a Senshi.  I just wanted to take over this shrine and help out my grandfather.”  The quiet words came slowly.  “I didn’t want to become a Senshi back then either.  I don’t remember why I fought it.  I was much younger then.  Only four maybe five.  But, I fought it.  Until I met Serenity.  She’s always been hard to resist.”

“Endymion was much the same way.  I wasn’t born into a traditional noble family.  My people roamed the Plains, riding horses, herding half-wild hairy cows.  Being Searched out to become Endymion’s Jadeite was…unsettling.  I think the me back then would have probably understood Jupiter quite a bit.”  He laughed, “I remember them trying to get me into a bathtub!  I’d only bathed in rivers and streams before then and used sand to clean myself.  The tub and soap were just plain weird.  Kunzite or Endymion had to bathe with me for several months before I really got used to it.”

“I’m sorry.”

Karl placed a hand on her shoulder, even though he wanted to do more.  “I accept.”  He tugged lightly on her hair.  “We’ll take it one step at a time, okay?”

She smiled at him.  “Okay.”


	2. Nephrite

Akira raised an eyebrow at the suppositions of the author of the article and reached for a pen to make notes for a rebuttal letter when he tripped. 

And fell.

He vaguely heard a girl squeal and realized that he had fallen on something soft.  When he opened his eyes, he realized that his nose was between two breasts.  Horrified, he looked up in amused blue eyes.  “Hello, soldier!”

“D-D-D-Dite!  SHIT!”  Nephrite scrambled to his feet and looked around wildly for Kunzite.  Who would more than likely kill him for what he’d just done.

His eyes fell upon a girl with auburn hair.  “Sparky!  Icanexplain!”  He ran a hand through his hair.  “I think.  Oh, gods!”

From behind him there was a sniffle.  He whirled around to stare at Aphrodite who had tears in her eyes.  “I thought you loved ME not HER!”

“I-I-I…”

Mercury frowned at her leader, “Don’t tease the poor man.  I think he’s embarrassed enough as it is.”  She smiled up at the much taller man.  “I’m Ami Mizuno and you are?”

He could feel his transformation as Nephrite fade away as he bowed to her.  “Akira Nishimura.”

“Hello, Nishimura-san.  Ignore Minako…she really hasn’t changed much.”

“AMI!”

“The troublemaker is Minako Aino.  ‘Sparky’ is Makoto Kino.”  Ami pointed to a girl with long black hair that he hadn’t noticed.  “That’s Rei Hino.  Serenity is now called Usagi Tsukino and she hasn’t arrived yet.”

Akira looked around and realized that he was in the courtyard of some sort of shrine.  “Um…where am I?”

It was his turn to get frowned at by Ami who tugged at him until he was sitting down.  She tilted his chin up so she could look into his eyes then she ran her fingers through his hair and across his skull.  “You are at the Hikawa shrine.”

“Umm…where’s that?”

The four girls looked at each other.  Makoto spoke cautiously.  “Azabu-Juban.”

Akira’s eyes widened.  “But, but I…oh damn!  I did it again!”

“What’s the last thing you remember?” asked Ami.

Akira replied morosely.  “Getting on the train in Hongo.  They’ll never let me go at this rate.”

“HONGO!”

“Let you go where?”

“Mars.”

“Huh?”

Ami patted him gently on the head.  “I think that what he’s trying to say is that because he’s clumsy or at least easily distracted...”  She handed Akira his magazine with a picture of the surface of Mars on the cover.  “…he’d be a danger to himself and others in such a hostile environment.”

Rei snorted.  “A hostile environment is keeping chocolate chip cookies away from Usagi.”

Akira nodded.  “Pretty much what Ami-san said.  I’d like to go but I get involved and I don’t pay attention.  And not paying attention where you’re going or what you’re doing in a Mars Habitat would be disastrous.  Have you seen the movie The Martian or the TV series by National Geographic called Mars?”

The girls shook their heads negatively.

“Well, they show what would happen if you didn’t do something properly in the manmade Habitat that would have to be set up for people to live in on Mars.  In the movie, it was an accident but in the series, it was because one of the people went insane and opened an outer door.”  Akira sighed.  “My colleagues know me too well and if they were asked, they would tell the interviewers that I am clumsy and distracted.  And when they find out about this…”

Makoto sat on the step next to him.  “So, don’t tell them.”

Akira gave her a half smile that was as utterly charming as it had been before.  “I don’t know how but they always seem to find out.”  He rested his cheek on the top of her head and closed his eyes.  He could feel something deep in his chest relax.  He took a deep breath and slowly released it.

Makoto wrapped an arm around his waist and let him rest.  Finally, she nudged him upright and stood up.  “Where do you live?”  She held her hand out to him.

Akira took her hand and stood up.  He blushed a bit as he replied.  “Two stops from the University.”

Makoto giggled.  “I’ll make sure you get off in the right spot.”

“You probably live around here, don’t you?”  She nodded.  “I’ll get home okay.  I don’t want your parents to worry.”

Makoto gave him a smile but Akira saw the sorrow in her eyes.  “It’s okay.  I have plenty of time.”  She grinned at him.  “And you can tell me about Mars and what scientists have found out about it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are interested in that sort of thing and haven’t seen the series Mars on National Geographic, you should. It’s a docudrama. People here and now talking about Mars and what may be found and its dangers. The drama part is set in the future with actors as astronauts and scientists dealing with said dangers and science. Good series.   
> The Martian with Matt Damon was pretty good too. But I think the United States has spent WAY too much money saving Matt Damon’s butt!


	3. Zoicite

Rhys Zanes wasn’t exactly sure where he was.  He had been walking down a regular street in Azabu-Juban when it started raining then there was one hell of a lightning strike and the lights all went off.  Somehow in the pitch darkness he got into a forest of some sort – a park? – and got himself lost.

Fortunately, he stumbled across the small building with its small covered porch.  Rhys changed into dry clothes.  He wouldn’t be able to lay down but he could sit upright against the door jamb and be warm and dry in his sleeping bag.

Rhys was born to two hippie wannabes who often lamented that they were born 20 years too late.  Despite his parents travelling all over the place to “find themselves,” and dragging him along; he ended up with a high school education.  Much to his parents’ disappointment, he wanted to go to college instead of dedicating his life to humanity.  They were even more disappointed that when he told them he wanted to take a gap year and travel to places he hadn’t been, that it wasn’t going to be to Africa or the Middle East to ease the suffering of the poor.

He really pissed them off when he told them that people had been trying to do that for 50 years or more and nothing helped so adding one more “helpful” person wasn’t going to do much.  His father had shouted that he was no longer their son and shouldn’t count on them ever helping him out financially.

Considering that most of the family clothes and other belongings had been taken from charity bins (without paying for them) that made Rhys laugh.

Rhys walked away from his family and never looked back.  He’d made his way to Japan on various boats that didn’t ask much other than if he was willing to work.  He did manage to avoid boats that were smuggling drugs or doing human trafficking.  And he worked hard for his employers so that the captains were willing to recommend him to another captain that was heading in the direction Rhys wanted to go.

Finally, Rhys got a boat that took him to Nagasaki.  From there he made his way to Tokyo.  He’d picked up Japanese rather quickly as he traveled to Tokyo.  Every now and then, he would find a place to work for a week or so to make money to travel on.  He did everything from washing dishes, planting rice or chopping wood to even playing the old violin that he’d had since he was 10.

And now, after all that, he was lost somewhere in one of the biggest cities in the world.

He laughed to himself.

Rhys took a deep breath, relaxed and fell asleep.

888888

“You better not let my granddaughter catch you like that, son.”

Rhys’ eyes popped open.  Standing before him was an elderly man dressed in what his sleepy mind identified as something a priest would wear.

He struggled to get his arms free of the sleeping back but somehow, despite sleeping upright, he’d gotten twisted in it.

“Hold still, my boy.”  The old man stepped onto the porch and slid the zipper down until Rhys was free.

Rhys got to his feet and bowed.  “I’m sorry for trespassing.  But I got lost somehow in the rain and ended up here.”

The old man gave him a charming smile, asked what Rhys’ name was and didn’t mangle the pronunciation like many Japanese did.  “Follow me.”  The old man turned and walked away, clearly expecting Rhys to follow.

After grabbing up his belongings, Rhys did.

The old man led Rhys behind a building that was obviously a shrine to another building that was living quarters.  In a small laundry area, the old man handed Rhys a set of clothes similar to what he wearing.  “You can wash your clothes here.  Bathroom is on the other side of this wall.  It’s traditional.  You won’t be able to bathe though since the fire isn’t lit but you can at least scrub down.  After you’re done and started your laundry, join me in the kitchen for breakfast.”

Rhys bowed thankfully to the old man.  “Thank you very much for your hospitality.  What is your name, sir?”

“You may call me Grandpa.”  Grandpa grinned at him and winked.  “Go.  Get warmed up and clean.”  The old man strolled down the hall and disappeared through another doorway.

Rhys obey but didn’t take very long with his bathing.  He quickly stuffed his clothes in the washer and started it then walked down the hallway to the door he saw the old man go through.  It was the kitchen.  Small but cozy and just enough room.

“Sit down, Rhys.  Breakfast will be ready soon.”

“Thank you…Grandpa.”  That got him an angelic smile.

“GRANDPA!  WHAT’S IN THE WASHING MACHINE?”  The shout was from a girl.  Who quickly appeared in the doorway, staring at Rhys in shock.

“Rhys, you did put only clothing in the washing machine, I hope.”

“Yes, sir.  Just clothing.”

The old man was clearly yanking the girl’s chain.  “Oh good.  You’re civilized.”

“Despite the best efforts of my parents, yes.”

“Rei, sit down.  Breakfast is almost ready.”

Rhys watched as Rei, who was wearing some sort of school uniform, eyed him back and sat down at the table.  Grandpa placed plates in front of the two.

“Itadakimasu.”

Three heads bent to the meal and silence reigned for a while.

Rei was the first to break the silence.  “Who are you and how did you get here?”

“My name is Rhys Zanes.  I was walking along a street; the power went out and somehow I got into a forest and found my way to one of your outbuildings where your grandfather found me.”

“Huh.”

“Grandpa, is there anything I can do around here to repay your kindness.”

The old man smile at him.  “As a matter of fact, there is.  The storm broke several branches partially off and they need to be removed before someone gets hurt.”

Rei spoke up.  “Akira will be here this afternoon.”

“Rei-chan, while Akira-kun has improved his coordination since he’s met you girls, would you trust him with something sharp and a ladder at the same time?”

Rei snorted a laugh “No.  It would upset Makoto if he managed to damage himself.”  She stood up and gave Rhys a look.  “Finished?”  At Rhys’ nod she gathered up the dishes and put them next to the sink, running the water.

Rhys followed her and stood next to the dish rack and raised an eyebrow at her.  He accepted the towel and the pair silently washed and dried everything with Rei pointing with her chin as to where things went.  After they finished, Rei kissed Grandpa on the cheek.  “I’ll see you after school.  Behave!”

The old man gave her a beatific smile and as she turned around, pinched her bottom.

Rhys choked back a laugh and followed Grandpa at his gesture.  The older man took him to a building and opened.  Rhys saw the ladder and grabbed it along with a saw, an ax and pruning shears, not knowing what all may be needed.  Grandpa took the ax and shears from him.  “Follow me.”

For the rest of the morning, Rhys followed the older man around the property, cutting off branches as directed.  Chopping and cutting the results into smaller, usable pieces and stacking them where told.  After that they stopped for lunch.  As Rhys washed the lunch dishes and hung his clothes out on a drying line, the older man apologized and said that he had to make his daily rituals.  Rhys assured Grandpa that he could entertain himself.

The storm had scattered leaves and other debris around the shrine’s courtyard, so he decided to sweep that up.  It was repetitive but relaxing and Rhys quickly lost track of time, so he was startled when he heard footsteps behind him.  He turned to look and there were three girls before him.  He noticed the blonde and auburn girls but his attention was caught by the girl with short blue hair.

The silence stretched between the two of them as they stared into each other’s eyes.  Then the girl stepped forward and smiled.

“Hello, I’m Ami Mizuno.”

Rhys’s heart flipped and his breath caught in his throat.

He had found what he’d never realized what he’d been searching for.


	4. Kunzite

Valentin Korolyov started at his superior.  “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.”

“That is a job for a cultural attaché.”

“I do believe that is your job title.”

“And you know as well as I do that isn’t my real job here…sir.”

“And yet, that’s what I’m ordering you to do.”

“Sir, I…”

Valentin’s superior sighed and looked at him.  “Look.  I know what you’re supposed to be doing here but this is Japan…it’s not exactly an espionage hot bed…corporate espionage perhaps…but Baralov is important.”

Valentin snorted to himself _That means that there are ministers on their knees sucking his dick._

Valentin wasn’t naïve.  Baralov was a billionaire what he wanted, he usually got.  And if he had something that a minister wanted or needed…well, something could always be worked out. 

He despised the corruption in the system but since he would never get high enough to put an end to the corruption, he was better off doing his job and whatever he could to keep his balls and his head connected to his body.

“Baralov’s daughter is enamored of those Japanese cartoons.  So, she wants to experience a real Japanese festival.  They’ll be here in two weeks and will stay for one week.  Find a festival for her to attend and make sure it will be safe for her to go to with a limited amount of protection.”

“Yes, sir.”  Valentin nodded his head and left the room at his superior’s careless dismissal.

_Mother of Christ!  Find a ‘safe’ festival for a daughter of a billionaire with limited bodyguards?  God, help me!_

Four days later, Valentin was ascending the stairs of a shrine in Azabu-Juban.  He had found out, through local sources, that a woman who lived at the shrine was an executive organizer for a festival in the area.  He hoped that she could show him the area where the festival was to be and give him an idea how it would be set up.

He got to the stop of the stairs and he had to fight an urge to loosen his tie.  Not because he was out of breath but the atmosphere was…relaxing.  He had to actually _think_ about pulling his hand away from his tie!

“Can I help you?”

Valentin lifted his head up…and gazed into the eyes of a goddess.

She was…perfection.  Impossibly long blonde hair.  The bluest eyes.

He _knew_ this woman.

He fell to his knees in front of her.  “I…I…”  His throat closed around the words he was trying to say.

A delicate hand reached out and cupped his chin, raising his head to make him look at her again.  He wanted to look away from her perfection…but he couldn’t.

“You are the last to come.”  Even her smile was gently perfect.  “Minako!  He’s here!”

A rush of yellow and blonde shoved aside the goddess.  Arms wrapped around his neck and tears soaked his collar.  He forgot about the other goddess and buried his face into the neck of the one in his arms.

“Aphrodite…I’m back.  I’m sorry I took so long.”


	5. Endymion

Mamoru eyed the stairs to the shrine with trepidation.

It wasn’t like he was really out of shape but he had spent the last three weeks doing nothing but going to school and studying for finals.

As one of his American classmates would say – he didn’t take any ‘me time.’

As he started climbing the stairs, he realized that over the next four years he would _have_ to take ‘me time’ otherwise he’d burn out.  And that wasn’t a good thing when you’re going to med school.

He smiled to himself, he’d spoken to Usagi about how med school was going to be intense and that he was going to have to spend all of his free time studying.  Now he was going to tell her that he was going to take time for himself.  She would probably be confused for a little bit…and ask Ami…but, long run, she’d be happy.  Even if the two of them spent an hour just walking through a park.

But he was going to have to make sure he at least spent an hour or two exercising each week.

He reached the top of the stairs and the peace of the shrine washed over him.

But something…something… _felt_ different about the shrine.

He couldn’t put his finger on it.

Different could be okay but…sometimes…different was really, really…bad.

He felt the alertness throughout his body.  His senses stretching.

His eyes darting everywhere.  Looking for enemies in the shadows and around the corners.

Mamoru walked to the shrine’s living quarters and his heart froze.

It…couldn’t be…

Them?

No.

No way.

Usagi looked up and smiled.  She jumped off the porch and ran to him.  She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him to her.  Looking up, she smiled at him.  “I missed you!”  She stood on tiptoes and kissed him.  “I’m glad you’re here.”  She knew her beloved was distracted.

“Usagi, what…what did you _do_?”

Mamoru looked down into innocent blue eyes.  She shook her head at him.  “Me?  I didn’t do anything.  They showed up here on their own.”

“Usako.”

“Mamo-chan, it’s okay.  I promise.”

“Master.”

“Damn, you look like hell, Master.”

“Hey, don’t say stuff like that to him.”

“He’s been studying too much.  Cooped up.”

“He’s on his way to medical school, so there’s nothing wrong with studying.”

“So speaketh the man who can barely walk and talk at the same time.”

“That’s unfair…I’m getting better!”

“Dymion…”

That was the only warning Mamoru got.  He ducked and Kunzite’s foot skimmed his hair.  The two men twisted and turned, came together and split apart, sometimes blows landed and others missed completely.

Usagi clapped her hands together softly.  “It’s almost like they’re dancing!”

Rei rolled her eyes, Minako and Ami grinned but Makoto nodded.  “Almost.  What we’re looking at are two men, who are in control of their bodies and who know what they are doing.”

Karl nodded.  “It’s been a long, long time since they’ve done this.  And they have changed age-wise and physically but the moves they learned long ago and what they’ve learned now are the same for both.  So, it is…choreographed in a way.”

Everyone winced as Mamoru finally made a mistake and Valentin’s fist plowed into his stomach, sending Mamoru to his knees gasping for air.

The girls held Usagi back as Valentin helped Mamoru regain his breath and stand up.  The other three men walked over to the other two.

Mamoru took one deep breath…then another.  He gazed at the faces of the men who had been his companions.  His brothers.  The ones who had betrayed him for the favors of a witch.

His mind roiled with remembered pain and grief.

“Master, forgive us.”  The four men were on one knee in front of him, heads bowed.

Tears rolled down Mamoru’s face and he shook.

“Maybe you should go to him now.”

Usagi heard the soft whisper from her friend and shook her head.  “No.”  Her voice was equally soft.  “No, this is his battle now and his alone.”

The silence stretched painfully.

“I hated you so much.” Came the rasping whisper.  “I loved you and admired you and you hurt me so badly.  You allowed yourselves to believe that witch.”  The laugh that tore its way out of his throat was painful to hear.  “Yet, I’m a fucking hypocrite because I did the exact.  Same.  Thing.  I did the exact same thing you did.  I betrayed the woman I love by allowing myself to be seduced by that witch.  How can I condemn your actions when I did the same damn thing?”

“Master…”

“Shut up and stand up.”

The four Shitennou rose to their feet.  Mamoru smiled at them and held out his hands.

“Welcome home, my brothers.”


End file.
